Dealers are almost out of foreign cars of the mass segment

In Russia, stocks of new foreign cars of the middle price category are practically exhausted. According to the Izvestiya newspaper, Russian representative offices of Volkswagen, Kia, Skoda, Citroen, Opel, Renault and Hyundai offer just over 300 such cars on their websites. The association "Russian Automobile Dealers" says that the number of really affordable cars goes to dozens. It is unprofitable to import a mass segment of parallel imports - the final price increased due to complex logistics will scare away the consumer, but the current situation can help the Russian auto industry, experts say. "As of March 2023, about four dozen automotive brands that were presented in the market in March last year left Russia, and about 10 new brands came. At the same time, some brands that were in the shadows in 2022 will now begin to grow actively.

For example, Changan stocks this spring are significantly higher than last year. The positive dynamics of sales will also be influenced by new brands that are localized in Russia, in particular, Kaiyi, which is already filling dealer warehouses. I think that by the end of the year, the car sales volume in Russia as a whole can grow by 10-15% in compare with the previous year," Alexander Shaprinsky, development director of Pragmatika Group, informed AUTOSTAT agency.